Potato-bug gatherer.



^ Patented Mar. 25, |902. M. URTENBLAD. POTATO BUG GATHEREB.-

(Application filed June 4, 1901.)

(Nu Model.)

TH: Norms PETERS cu., PHoTo.| |Tr o.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea. A

MAGNUS ORTENBLAD, OF GRONINGEN, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORVOF ONE-HALF TO JOHN DELLWO, OF GRONINGEN, MINNESOTA.

POTATO-BUC GATH ERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,258, dated March 25, 1902.

Application filed June 4,1901.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MAC-NUS ORTEANBLAm a' citizen of the United States, residing at use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for gathering potato-bugs; and the object of the invention is to provide aneffective, easily'- operated, adjustable potatobug gatherer adapted to be operated by pushing it on the wheels along between the potatohills. This object I attain by the novel construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which*- Figure 1 is a top view of my potato-bug gatherer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the machine with a few of the front end parts omitted and the rear caster 11 swung to one side.`

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals,the main framework of the machine consists of the two longitudinal parallel bars 4, secured together by the cross-bars 5 and 6. This frame is supported on a single front wheel 7, having its axle S journaled in bear-V ings 9, secured up under the front ends of the bars 4, so that the Wheel may be adjusted vertically by inserting lining between the bearings and the bars. The rear end of the machine may often be supported by the handles 10, carried in the operators hands, as the machine is very light; but it may also be supported on the caster 11, the shank 12 of which is journaled'in a projection 13 of the rear cross-bar Gand offset, so that when swung to one side, as shown in Fig. 3, the drawer-like receptacle 14Y may be pulled' rearward out from the angle-iron bars 15,'on which it slides with its outward-turned longitudinal edges 1G. Said bars 15 are secured to the main bars 4 by the rear brace 17 and front braces 1S.

Overhanging the outer longitudinal edgesv Serial No. 63.072. (No modelJ Vfor preventing them from catching against the potato-vines.

Each pan is supported at each end by a link 2l and chain 22, of which the link is pivoted at 23 to the frame-bars 5 and 6, while the chain is secured 'to the head 24 of the horizontally-sliding rod 25, held by the thumb-screw 26 in the bars 5 and 6, which may Vbesingle, like 5, or double, like 6, (see Fig. 1,) so that the rodsy 25 will not butt together evenif made so long as to give them a verygood bearing, also when extended to operate on two potato hills or rows quite far apart. At the top of the ends of the pans are secured cross-bars 27, (see Fig. 3,) to which are loosely secured the end of the chain 22 and the lower end of link 21. The latter is connected by a coiled spring 28 to an adjustable collar 29 on the rod 27, so that when the pan touches the potato-vines 29 springs 23 yield more orless and rebound, while the pan may also swing slightly back and forth, which agitation causes the bugs to move from the p'ans down into the drawer 14, and if the hills are unusually close together .or far'apart the pan is adjusted in or out by the thumb-screws 26 and those in the collar The bugs are beaten down from the vines into the pans 19 .by the bars 30 of revolvin g beaters 31, secured on shafts 32, journaled in the heads 33 of standards 34, adjustably held by the screws 35 in the heads 24, and by adjustable braces 36, secured by thumb-screws 37 to the Shanks of the handles 10, while the front bracesare secured to the front ends of the bars 4 and may be modified, like 36X, which do'es not run to the standard, but has a sleeve or guide 38, embracing loosely the shaft 39, which shaft is journaled in the front heads 33 and has keyways 40, slidable on keys (not shown) secured in the miter-gears 41, meshing with the gears 42 on loc the shafts of the beaters 3l. The shaft 39 is driven by the two chain-wheels 43, secured on it, and 44, secured on the shaft 8, and the endless belt chain 45, placed over them. Vhen the beaters are to be lowered for operation on short vines, the chain is shortened by removing links from it, while the standards 34 are adjusted up or down by the setscrews 35. The in and outward moving of the beaters is caused by the sliding of the bars 25, as already described.

At each side of the machine, but shown only at one side in the present drawings, I secure a vine-raiser consisting of a rod 47, which may be secured to the framework in any suitable manner. In the present instance it is secured by a set-screw 48 (see Fig. 1) in the front end of the bar 4, extends thence upward t0 clear the top of the vines, then outward over the vines, (sce Fig. 3,) then downward, inward at 49, then up and rearward, forming an incline 50 and a support 51, which raise the fallen-down vines,

`as shown at 52 in Fig. 3, so that the beaters when properly lowered will beat all the vines of the potato-hill inward toward and over the pan 19, on which the potato-bugs are thus gathered and get into the drawer, from which they may be destroyed by' either depositing them in a hole about one foot deep in the ground and bury them or by dumping them into boiling water or by any other suitable method.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A potato bug gatherer comprising a wheel supported frame, revoluble beaters mounted in the frame'and operatively connected with one of the ground-wheels, vibrating pans adjacent the beaters, a receptacle receiving the bugs from the pans, said pans having an open side overhanging the receptacle.

2. A potato-bug gatherer having an elongated frame with a supporting-wheel in its front end, and a caster supporting its rear end, handles or handhelds at the rear end for pushing, guiding and supporting the machine by; the removable receptacle 14 carried centrally in the lower part of the frame, the vibrating pans 19, one at each side of the machine and having their adjacent sides open and overhanging the receptacle, a revoluble beater mounted above the outer edge of each pan and geared to the front supporting-wheel; said beaters, handles and wheels being adjustable vertically, and the beaters and the pans being adjustable also horizontally, toward and away from the center ofthe machine.

3. 4The combination in a potato-bug gatherer with beaters and bug-catching pans, of a vine-raising arm or device projecting from the machine above and beyond the vines, and down at the opposite sides thereof, and formed so as to raise the fallen vines into position for the operation of the machine on them.

In testimony whereof I alhx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAGNUS ORTENBLAI).

Witnesses:

JOHN A. SMITH, ARTHUR D. HALE. 

